The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
• Last call for Piano Men:The Palace Theatre’s ode to the music of Billy Joel, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Freddie Mercury, The All New Piano Men, wraps up its run this weekend with shows Friday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. The show is an original production of Carl Rajotte, artistic director at the Palace (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588), according to the website. Tickets start at $25.
• Wilkommen! Bienvenue! Welcome: Also at the Palace in Manchester this weekend, the Palace Teen Apprentice Company production performed by student actors ages 12 through 18, will present Cabaret on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults. See palacetheatre.org.
• Disney’s next generation: The Riverbend Youth Company will present a tale of the kids of Disney villains in The Descendants: The Musical, based on the Disney Channel movies, at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St. in Milford; amatocenter.org) on Friday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 5, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $12 for adults, $8 for children and seniors.
• Get all shook up: Local artists will perform the songs of one Elvis Aaron Presley at “A Night of Elvis,” a variety show featuring songs, skits and more, at the Majestic Theatre (88 Page St. in Manchester; 669-7469, majestictheatre.net) on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $20.
• New show — and a slate of concerts: The Two Villages Art Society (Bates Building, 846 Main St. in Contoocook; twovillagesart.org) will present a new show — the work of The Secretive and Mysterious Order of the Crimson Sparrow — opening Thursday, Feb. 2, and running through Sunday, Feb. 19. Ty Meier, an artist and member of the Society’s board of directors, organized and curated the show and describes the 14 artists (which include painters, printmakers, illustrators and sculptors) as “a scrappy group of underground art ninjas,” according to a press release. The gallery is open Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
On Saturdays Feb. 11, Feb. 18 and Feb. 25, from 4 to 6 p.m. the gallery will also host concerts featuring light refreshments (donations will be accepted at the door), the release said. The schedule includes Ariel Strasser (a Boston-based Minnesotan singer, songwriter and piano player) on Feb. 11, The Honeybees (Mary Fagan and Chris O’Neill with original songs, 1930s era jazz, Western swing, folk-rock and Americana) on Feb. 18 and Hydro-Geo-Trio (featuring George Holt, Dave McLean, Dan Morrissey and Mitch Simon with blue grass and new-grass) on Feb. 25, the release said.
• Small works and a silent auction: The New Hampshire Art Association’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St. in Portsmouth; nhartassociation.org) will hold its annual fundraiser silent auction scheduled to have started Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the gallery and online, according to a press release. The auction will run through Feb. 19. The gallery is also hosting a “Small Works” exhibit featuring works 8 inches by 8 inches or 8 inches by 10 inches, the release said.
• Underground Russian art: Moscow-born Nickolay Manulov, 88, now a resident of New Hampshire, will have his works and pieces by his wife, Ludiya Kirillova, displayed at the Mariposa Museum (26 Main St. in Peterborough; mariposamuseum.org), which is open Wednesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is also having an artist reception for Manulov, known as “Kuk,” with a Q&A discussion on Sunday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m. Admission to that event is $10. Manulov’s art, and that of his late wife, was illegal during the time of Stalin and wasn’t allowed to be exhibited in official venues even after Stalin’s death, according to a press release. Kuk emigrated during the Russian invasion of Crimea, bringing his and his wife’s work with him, the release said.
• Dream the impossible dream: The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St. in Portsmouth; seacoastrep.org, 433-4472) will present the musical Man of La Mancha, Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7:30 p.m. through Sunday, March 5. The show follows Don Quixote, a man who lives in a fantasy world of his own creation that baffles everyone he meets but changes the world for the better and inspires those around him, according to a press release. This show contains adult themes including violence. Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased at seacoastrep.org
• One-woman show: The Pontine Theatre will present guest artist Tannis Kowalchuk and her original one-woman show Decompositions at the Pontine’s 1845 Plains Schoolhouse Theatre (1 Plains Ave. in Portsmouth; pontine.org) on Friday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. A Feb. 5 show is sold out but an online show is available (it is accessible about a week after the performance, according to the website. Tickets cost $29. In the song-filled multimedia production Kowalchuk performs monologues and stories exploring the composting process as a metaphor for life, according to a press release.
Nashua playwright’s production comes to the Concord stage
At the Hatbox in Concord, the community theater troupe Lend Me a Theatre is preparing the first production of The World Was Yours, by Nashua playwright William Ivers. Matthew Parent, director of The World Was Yours, said he was extremely excited to bring this play to life.
“It’s a great story about the value of art and what people think of art and whose opinion about art is right or not,” Parent said. “It’s this debate, and you can extract that to be about anything, not just art.”
This isn’t the first of Ivers’ plays to be produced, but it is the first time Lend Me a Theatre has produced an original and independent text.
In the play, three artists compete for the same grant: aging art professor Adley Schwartz, his young student Joy and guerilla graffiti artist Z-Jones, according to a press release. Watching the action from the ether are Bob Ross, Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol, the release said.
Parent, who is a new member to Lend Me a Theatre, said having an original play be his directorial debut is extremely exciting. He said it’s incredible that he is allowed a chance to put his own spin on the text, to work with the Ivers to realize his vision, and to work with actors to breathe life into characters that have never been portrayed before.
Even though this is the first performance of The World Was Yours, Parent said there is a very good chance that it won’t be the last. This show will have a reading done in New York City, and it has gathered interest from the Royal Court Theatre in London.
“It’s unusual for a community theater or nonprofessional theater to do new plays,” Parent said. “Usually they do shows that have been published and done before. In that respect, [The World Was Yours] is brave.”
The World Was Yours What: Original play by New Hampshire playwright William Ivers produced by Lend Me a Theatre Where: Hatbox Theatre, 270 Loudon Road in Concord When: Friday, Feb. 3, through Sunday, Feb. 19, with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets: $22 for adults, $19 for seniors and students More info: hatboxnh.com
Who says having fun in the water has to be a summer-only activity?
Even in the dead of winter, there are several local spots to enjoy a bit of water fun indoors. We look at where to go to get in the pool for exercise, improve your swimming skills or try some surfing or boogie boarding — yes, indoors. Dig out that swimsuit and make a plan for a day in the water.
Water wonderland
Find a summertime oasis at an indoor aquatic center
Surfing in the wintertime is no longer restricted to tropical vacations, thanks to SkyVenture NH’s aquatic attraction Surf’s Up. Laurie Greer, who co-owns the Nashua facility with her husband, Rob, said she wanted to bring year-round waves to the Granite State.
“We can do everything from knee high to a 6-foot standing barrel,” Greer said, adding that people love to come and watch the surfers as much as they surf themselves. “Kick your shoes off and bring your flip-flops. It’s … a tropical paradise.”
Surf’s Up uses a device called a SurfStream. The wave machine fills a small pool with about a foot of water, which is then propelled at a speed of about 14 miles per hour to create a variety of waves. The Greers had specialized surfboards made and gathered up boogie boards. They heated the water to 80 degrees to create their own summertime oasis.
The Workout Club’s aquatic center in Salem. Courtesy photo.
While it seemed easy enough to get going for people who are experienced on surfboards, Greer saw that some newer surfers needed an extra hand. Now, SkyVenture offers help to the newer surfers from the staff of surf instructors.
“The program we have is called ‘surf assist,’” she said. “An instructor … will set [a visitor] up and the other will help them up on the wave. Once [the visitor is] stable, they’ll let go. They basically are your personal coach on the waves.”
Surf’s Up is the largest SurfStream in the world, measuring in at a length of 32 feet. The attraction is more than just a fun way to get out energy, Greer said — it’s also used by professional surfers and wake surfers to practice during the winter months. Pro wakesurfer Jake Caster got started using Surf’s Up as his training ground, while YouTuber and award-winning surfer Jamie “JOB” O’Brien has also used the facility.
Each session at Surf’s Up lasts 15 minutes, Greer said.
“Fifteen minutes doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s a lot,” she said. “In the ocean, you’d be lucky to get 10 seconds to catch a ride.”
While kids as young as 4 or 5 years old can go on Surf’s Up, sometimes indoor swimming fun can look a bit more like a traditional waterpark. Over at The Workout Club in Salem, there’s a kid-friendly water wonderland known as the SplashZone that’s available for use in addition to the facility’s regular lane swimming.
“We have wonderful aquatics that are broken into three segments,” said Laurie Moran, The Workout Club’s aquatics director. The segments are lane swimming, family swimming and the SplashZone, which has wade-in water activities and swim areas, water sprinklers, a mushroom-cap fountain and a 75-foot water slide. On the other side of the complex you’ll find a wade pool for toddlers and a family swimming pool for fun.
When parents and older siblings need a break from the pool fun, they can take time in the spa, a hot tub for visitors ages 16 and older. The water can get up to 104 degrees with jets to help massage sore muscles.
Moran said that the aquatics center is a place for everyone in the family to have a good time and get some energy out.
“This is a place where parents and kids can get exercise,” she said, jokingly adding, “Afterward, kids are really tuckered out, and when they’re tired they’re less work to take care of.”
Indoor water fun
This list has a selection of places that are free or offer day passes to use their facilities.
Dover public pool 9 Henry Law Ave., 516-6441, dover.nh.gov The public pool is open daily, with different programs scheduled each day. A single day pass costs $5 for resident adults and $3 for resident children and seniors, and $7 for non-resident adults and $4 for non-resident children and seniors. There are discounted packages available for a multi-day pass. See the website for the full schedule.
Envy Sports Club 298 Queen City Ave., Manchester, 703-5303, envysportsclubs.com The Envy Splash Lounge is not only an indoor pool but also has a cinema, music, parties, food and drinks. Kids and parents can join Envy for a live DJ at the Kids Glow Party every Saturday night from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 per person and can be purchased online.
SkyVenture NH 100 Adventure Way, Nashua, 897-0002, skyventurenh.com SkyVenture is open Wednesday through Friday, 2 to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pricing for Surf’s Up starts at $45 for a 15-minute session, followed by $22.50 for each additional session. Private sessions are also available — book online through their website.
The Workout Club 16 Pelham Road, Salem, 894-4800, theworkoutclub.com/salem The SplashZone is open daily from noon to 4 p.m. The water slide will only be operational during the weekends, when a lifeguard is on duty in that area. The cost is $20 for non-members ages 13 and up and $10 for non-members.
Making a splash
Get fit in the pool, from aquatics classes to swim lessons
Between frigid temperatures and the depths of snow, it can be hard to find ways to stay active in the dead of winter. Indoor swimming and water exercise programs are great year-round alternatives to what are traditionally warm-weather activities — and they’ve been steadily growing in popularity post-pandemic.
“There’s definitely been a good uptick in the amount of interest the last three years,” said Matthew Chabot, owner of Somerset Swim & Fitness in Nashua, which offers swimming lessons for kids and adults, in addition to aqua aerobics for its members six days a week. “To be honest, we’ve quadrupled the amount of lessons on a yearly basis that we’re doing now from what we were doing pre-Covid.”
The interest in indoor pools also grows this time of year at the Hampshire Hills Athletic Club in Milford, according to aquatics director Jasmine Bishop.
Photo courtesy of the YMCA of Greater Nashua.
“I think after Christmastime, it’s a real big turning point, and our pools start to get busier because people are thinking of activities that they can do with their kids, or they’re thinking of different ways to cross-train when they can’t be out on the roads running or biking,” Bishop said. “A lot of people will hop in [the pool] and do PT [physical therapy] if they are trying to recover from something. … Or even if it’s icy outside, they’ll get into the water and walk, and that adds resistance and they’re still getting their steps in.”
At Hampshire Hills, one lane of a five-lane lap pool is always open to members — according to the club’s website, it’s open seven days a week throughout each day and can be reserved for swimmers up to four days in advance. Bishop added that, for adults, the club’s aquatics programs are more fitness-oriented and include everything from strength and tone workouts to those that promote proper joint and muscle alignment.
“We have an arthritis class, we have a Water in Motion [class] … and a lot of other different options, and generally those run Monday through Friday,” she said. “We have our family pool and that’s where our aqua classes run. Then we have our hot tub, which is a nice addition after you’ve been in a class or [you’ve been] swimming laps. … We see all different types of fitness levels.”
In business in the Gate City for more than two decades, Somerset Swim & Fitness is known for focusing on one-on-one private lessons for swimmers, regardless of one’s membership status with the club. It’s also one of the only spots around with a heated saltwater pool, a safer and more natural alternative, Chabot said, to one filled with chlorine. In addition to lessons, the club does offer open swimming hours to members seven days a week at various times over several hours, and there are membership rates available for open swim in the pool only. Aqua aerobics classes, meanwhile, are available and great for building strength and improving flexibility.
“All of our instructors are WSI [Water Safety Instructor, through the American Red Cross] certified. A lot of them have competitive swimming backgrounds,” Chabot said.
Lessons at the club are offered daily, and swimmers are usually guided to enroll in at least one lesson per week. A majority of swimmers, Chabot said, are kids and teens up to 15 years old, although lessons are available to all ages.
“We focus on … more of the beginner to the intermediate [swimmer],” he said. “Getting that individual, whether it’s the parent [who] wants their child to be comfortable and have those water safety skills, or if it’s an older child or an adult, then we’re basically helping them get over any fear they may have or getting them comfortable so that they feel they can swim. … Between the swim director who runs the program, or the individual instructors, they’ll more or less observe in the first session to get an idea of where the person is at.”
Group swimming lessons for kids and teens are also available at Hampshire Hills, with the next eight-week session running from March 6 through April 29. For younger swimmers, Bishop said, the benefits of enrolling in lessons range from basic water safety to building or boosting confidence.
NH Swim School co-owner Tyler Smirnioudis’s daughter, Sofia. Courtesy photo.
“It’s a huge life skill that kids should know,” she said, “and then from there, you can work on fitness or you can swim for fun. Whatever you want to do, there are so many avenues that it can take you through.”
The YMCA of Greater Nashua also offers group swimming lessons, in addition to private lessons and daily guest passes for people to access the facility’s swimming pools, according to chief community relations officer Elizabeth Covino. Lessons are offered all year long, with the next program session beginning Feb. 6. At Granite YMCA, meanwhile (which includes the YMCA of Downtown Manchester, the YMCA of Concord and the YMCA Allard Center of Goffstown), day passes to use the pools are also complimentary for first-time visitors, followed by up to five paid visits.
In the Concord area, Karen Jenovese and her stepdaughter, Tyler Smirnioudis, have operated the NH Swim School for more than a decade. Both with backgrounds in competitive swimming — Smirnioudis is also a lifeguard instructor and Jenovese a swimming coach — the two developed their own methods of teaching that allow kids to progress faster and at their own pace.
“A lot of other places rely on floatation devices when teaching kids how to swim … and that can make the process take a lot longer,” Smirnioudis said. “We don’t use any floatation in our swimming lessons and our class sizes are very small compared to other programs … so that really helps make a difference with our kids learning to swim.”
The school provides lessons for children and adults. When deciding which lesson to sign up for, one must consider a swimmer’s age and skill level.
Those age 6 months to 3 years old can start with parent-and-child classes. These lessons familiarize children with the water and teach them developmental skills, like swimming on their front and back, floating and going under the water. Next up is Level 1, which teaches children how to swim independently. The following levels build on these skills and teach core strokes. “Our goal is for all the kids to continue swimming until they get to our developmental swim team,” Smirnioudis said.
Where to find indoor swimming lessons and aquatics programs Here are some local health clubs and other organizations offering either private or group swimming lessons for kids and adults, as well as some open swimming opportunities and fitness-oriented aquatics classes.
Where to find indoor swimming lessons and aquatics programs
Envy Sports Club 298 Queen City Ave., Manchester, 703-5303, envysportsclubs.com When: Classes for kids and adults run on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at various times throughout the day, depending on the class. Aquatics programs are also available. Cost: $169 for members and $199 for non-members, either for eight weeks with one class per week or four weeks with two classes per week. Membership rates start at $39 per month to use the pool only.
Executive Health & Sports Center 1 Highlander Way, Manchester, 668-4753, ehsc.com When: Classes are held Sundays through Saturdays at various times, depending on the class (no classes during school vacation weeks or holiday weekends). The next session for swimming lessons runs from March 4 through April 16, with registration opening Feb. 6 at 5 a.m. Group aquatics programs, meanwhile, are available Monday through Friday at 9 a.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m. Cost: $69 for members, and $119 for non-members for swimming lessons
Hampshire Hills Athletic Club 50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com When: Group lessons are held weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m., and on Saturday mornings. The next eight-week session runs from March 6 through April 29, with registration due March 4 (private lessons are currently not available). One lane of a five-lane lap pool is also open to members — according to the club’s website, it’s open seven days a week throughout each day and can be reserved for swimmers up to four days in advance. Aquatics classes, meanwhile, are offered seven days a week at various times — see website for details. Cost: Ranges from $96 to $136 for the eight-week swimming lesson program, depending on the swimmer’s membership status.
NH Swim School 96 N. State St., Concord, 724-3106, nhswimschool.com When: Classes are offered weekly, Sunday through Saturday, depending on the class. Registration opens Feb. 4 for the NH Swim School’s next session, which begins in March. Cost: Ranges from $175 to $230
Peak Swim Center 45 Mountain Road, Brookline, 978-337-6717, peakswimcenter.com When: Coached swimming sessions are available seven days a week; see website to book a time. Cost: $90 per 45-minute coached swimming session, or $100 per 60-minute session
SafeSplash Swim School Hosted at the Holiday Inn, 2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 945-1844, safesplash.com When: Classes are offered on Sundays, at various times between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.; and on Wednesdays, at various times between 4 and 7 p.m. Cost: Ranges from $88 to $308, depending on the type of class and the length of each session.
Somerset Swim & Fitness 2 Somerset Parkway, Nashua, 595-4160, somersetsf.com When: Private lessons are available seven days a week; call to schedule a time. In addition to lessons, the club does also offer open swimming hours to members seven days a week at various times over several hours, in addition to aqua aerobics classes. Membership rates are available for open swim in the pool only. Cost: Membership rates vary; call for details
YMCA Allard Center of Goffstown Granite YMCA, 116 Goffstown Back Road, Goffstown, 497-4663, graniteymca.com When: Swimming programs are held at various dates and times throughout the week — see program brochure for the full schedule. Open swimming hours vary and can be viewed online graniteymca.com on a week-to-week basis, Monday through Saturday. Cost: Varies, depending on the swimmer’s age and membership status. Day passes to use the pool are also complimentary for first-time visitors, followed by up to five paid visits ($10 for adults, $5 for adolescents and teens and $3 for younger kids)
YMCA of Concord Granite YMCA, 15 N. State St., Concord, 228-9622, graniteymca.com When: Swimming programs are held at various dates and times throughout the week — see program brochure for the full schedule. Open swimming hours vary and can be viewed online graniteymca.com on a week-to-week basis, Monday through Saturday. Cost: Varies, depending on the swimmer’s age and membership status. Day passes to use the pool are also complimentary for first-time visitors, followed by up to five paid visits ($10 for adults, $5 for adolescents and teens and $3 for younger kids)
YMCA of Downtown Manchester Granite YMCA, 30 Mechanic St., Manchester, 623-3558, graniteymca.com When: Swimming programs are held at various dates and times throughout the week — see program brochure for the full schedule. Open swimming hours vary and can be viewed online graniteymca.com on a week-to-week basis, Monday through Saturday. Cost: Varies, depending on the swimmer’s age and membership status. Day passes to use the pool are also complimentary for first-time visitors, followed by up to five paid visits ($10 for adults, $5 for adolescents and teens and $3 for younger kids)
YMCA of Greater Nashua 24 Stadium Drive, Nashua, 882-2011, nmymca.org When: Swimming lessons are offered all year long; the next program session begins Feb. 6. Daily guest passes are also available for people to access the Y’s swimming pools. Indoor pools are located at the Nashua YMCA (24 Stadium Drive, Nashua) and the Westwood Park YMCA (90 Northwest Blvd., Nashua). Lanes are available for open swim on various days and times — the full schedule is regularly updated at nmymca.org. Cost: Daily passes are $15 per adult and $5 per child per day.
Today is the last day to purchase tickets for the Snowball Gala hosted by the Educational Farm at Joppa Hill. The gala will have live music, live and silent auctions, a photo booth, a surf and turf dinner, and more. The gala is on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 6 p.m. at the Manchester Country Club (180 S. River Road, Bedford). Tickets cost $100 a person and can be purchased at educational-farm-at-joppa-hill.square.site.
Friday, Feb. 3
Catch “Masters of the Telecaster” G.E. Smith and Jim Weider tonight at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com) at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $40. Find more concerts this weekend in the concert listings on page 34.
Saturday, Feb. 4
The Queen City Rotary Club’s annual Comedy Bowl returns tonight at St. George’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral (650 Hanover St. in Manchester). A social hour starts at 6 p.m., a buffet dinner starts at 7 p.m. and the comedy starts at 8 p.m. with a lineup including Joe Yannetty, Jody Sloane, Jeff Koen and Rafi Gonzalez, according to queencityrotary.org. The event also features a silent auction and a cash bar with proceeds from the event benefiting youth charities and agencies in Manchester, according to a press release. Tickets cost $50; call 391-1110 to purchase.
Saturday, Feb. 4
There will be a Valentine’s craft and vendor fair at the Eagles Wing Function Hall (10 Spruce St. in Nashua) today from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. There will be more than 40 vendors and crafters selling handmade goods, valentine-themed sweets and treats, and more. For more information, visit facebook.com/BazaarCraftEvents.
Sunday, Feb. 5
The Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road in Warner) is hosting a mid-winter social today starting at 2 p.m. The social will have dancing, a potluck dinner and a performance by the Black Thunder Singers. Reservations are not required for this event. Visit indianmuseum.org for more information.
Wednesday Feb. 8
The Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester) is doing a special screening for the 100th anniversary of the silent filmSafety Last tonight at 7 p.m. The film will have live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis. Safety Last is a comedy that follows famous silent film actor Harold Lloyd’s character as he tries to make his mark on the Big City and impress his sweetheart in the process. Tickets cost $10 and can be purchased at the door or in advance at palacetheatre.org.
Save the Date! Oscar Watch Party Celebrate awards season with the Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord) with a special Oscar watch party on Sunday, March 12, at 7 p.m. The theater invites attendees to sit back, unwind and watch one of the biggest award shows of the season. Comfortable clothing, including pajamas, is encouraged. Tickets cost $50 and can be purchased online at redriv ertheatres.org. As part of its Oscar Party Weekend, Red River is also hosting an Oscar Party Trivia Night on Saturday, March 11, at 6 p.m. For this night, the dress code is Hollywood glamor and tickets ($90 per person or $760 for a table) for a red carpet experience, food (dinner is served at 7 p.m.) and a trivia game, according to the website. Trivia night will take place at the Grappone Conference Center (70 Constitution St. in Concord).
Brady vs. Manning – The Sequel: The games with TomBrady facing PeytonManning-led teams were the marquee NFL events for the first 15 years of the 21st century. It was bigger than the teams themselves; when Manning moved to Denver, Indianapolis all but disappeared from the radar and Denver vs. New England became the game everyone circled on the calendar. But after four straight games decided by three points, two of which went to overtime and the other two of which were decided by last-second field goals, and having Cincy and KC in the last four Super Bowls, we now have a successor to Manning vs. Brady. Because even with the league filled with a boatload of talented young quarterbacks, after the last two AFC title game thrillers it is clearly PatrickMahomes vs. JoeBurrow. Both have the same coolness under fire, with the added dimension of greater mobility to use their legs when needed, as Mahomes did in Sunday’s cataclysmic play. And with great weapons to collaborate with on offense, sturdy young teams behind them and having a coach who’s much better than it seemed two years ago and another whose next stop will be the Hall of Fame, Bengals vs. Chiefs will be the NFL game to circle over the next 10 years.
Rollin’ into the Hall: I’ve got nothing against ScottRolen. But after seeing him voted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame last week I will say the “everyone gets a trophy” generation strikes again! Because like in the case of HaroldBaines, not once during his career did it ever occur to me that Rolen might be a Famer, let alone should he get in. Not to knock him, because he was a very good longtime player, but sorry, the Hall is honoring greatness, not very goodness. Now my attitude has changed a little bit on it, just being about peak greatness to give a little more deference to guys who rack up numbers because of their longevity, because the durability to do that is a skill.
As for Rolen, they tell you you can’t play “what about him”-ism when it comes to Hall voting. But I say why not? When I heard Rolen was likely to get in I came up with 10 guys, like DwightEvans, AlbertBelle and DickAllen, who were clearly more impactful in their time than Rolen was. But let’s focus on just two who played the same position: JoeTorre and GraigNettles. Rolen’s numbers were .281 BA, 316 homers, 1287 RBI, 7 All-Star games and 8 Gold Gloves. But remember, making the All-Star game was taken far more seriously in the past, while Gold Gloves depend on who’s in your era.
In the case of Torre, he outhit Rolen (.292), had more RBI, more 100-RBI seasons and made 9 All-Star games, which he did at three different positions (C, 1B and 3B). Only PeteRose did that besides him. He had the signature season of 1971 that Rolen never came within three area codes of when he won the batting title (.363) with 230 hits, 137 RBI and was MVP. For good measure he also sometimes hit clean-up for the Braves between HankAaron and EddieMathews, who for the historically challenged hit a combined 1,266 home runs. In short: Him not being in while Rolen is in is a joke.
The case for Nettles is a lot closer as some of his numbers come from longevity and batting average was not his thing. But he’s got more homers (390), more RBIs (1,314) and a home run title and was a better fielder, though not as many GGs because he played when the spectacular BrooksRobinson did when he always got in on reputation whether he deserved it or not. Plus, Nettles was stationary defensively in the 1978 World Series, while Rolen hit .220 in the postseason.
AFC Championship Game: There are two things that distinguish football from other sports: how the players have to adapt to conditions around them by playing in anything from the searing Miami heat of September to last week’s driving snowstorm in Buffalo, and coping with the injuries most teams have at this time of year. This week was no different, with a 10-degree wind chill in KC, and SF having to play the Wildcat after its third- and fourth-string QBs got knocked out of the game and the Chiefs surviving after losing all but one wide receiver. Not to mention having their QB come into the game a week after suffering an injury that annually took KellyOlynyk two months to recover from when he was a Celtic. But there was Mahomes throwing for 300 plus and making the game’s most crucial play on a mind-over-matter scramble to get the first down in the final seconds he always seems to get in crunch time before getting smacked out of bounds to get the 15-yard penalty that made the 47-yard FG that sent KC to the Super Bowl doable. So move over, CurtSchilling, because, as young’n TonyRomo astutely mentioned during the broadcast, this one goes up there with the bloody sock game, Willis Reed limping into Game 7 at MSG, and flu-stricken MichaelJordan going for 37 in the NBA Finals. Bravo, Patrick.
NFC Title Game Notes: (1) NickSirianni has a very similar resume to Coach B, with a D-III playing career and a million jobs before becoming a young HC at 40. But by getting to the SB in Year 2 he’s five years ahead of Bill. (2) Philly is a lot better than I thought they were. (3) Coach B, please pay attention to how adding two dynamic outside threats (A.J.Brown and DeVontaSmith) turned the waiting until someone better comes along JalenHurts into an MVP-caliber player, because MacJones was better at Alabama than he was.
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration collected by Texas-based electricity company Payless Power revealed that New Hampshire is the U.S. state with the biggest jump in electricity prices between August 2021 and August 2022, with a 40 percent increase in cost per kilowatt-hour. The study also found that New Hampshire is the state with the fifth-highest estimated monthly residential electric bill, averaging $173.34, and the sixth-highest cost per kilowatt-hour at 20 cents.
QOL score: -2
Comment: Find the complete study at paylesspower.com/blog/where-to-save-on-your-electric-bill.
Hospitals are crowded
News outlets around the country have reported hospital overcrowding this winter, and New Hampshire is no exception. Earlier this month the New Hampshire Hospital Association tweeted a graph showing a statewide average of 94.9 percent occupancy of staffed hospital beds in December. Hospitals in Concord and Laconia “have been at or above 100% capacity for the past few months, with little or no let-up,” according to a Jan. 23 Concord Monitor Granite Geek story. Workforce shortages and difficulty moving patients to long-term care facilities (which are also crowded and short-staffed) are thought to be behind the crowding, the story said.
QOL score: -2
Comment:Props to the hospital staff trying to keep it all together during long emergency room waits.
Top marks
For the fourth year in a row United Way of Greater Nashua is the recipient of Charity Navigator’s highest rating for nonprofits demonstrating strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency. According to a press release, only 21 percent of charities evaluated by Charity Navigator receive the highest rating. “This … indicates that your organization adheres to sector best practices and executes its mission in a financially efficient way … [and] verifies that United Way of Greater Nashua exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in your area of work,” Charity Navigator president and CEO Michael Thatcher wrote in the award letter. United Way of Greater Nashua has also received top ratings for accountability, transparency and financial management from the nonprofit reporter GuideStar.
QOL score: +1
Comment:Participate in their fundraising via the upcoming Nashua Nor’easter Winter Walk/Run/Drive Community Fundraiser, taking place Feb. 26 through March 4. Choose the day, distance, method and speed of locomotion to tackle the distance by yourself or with a team, according to a press release.
Rookie of the Week
Breezie Williams, a freshman guard on the University of New Hampshire’s women’s basketball team, was named Rookie of the Week by America East on Jan. 30, according to a press release, her second such designation this season. QOL will let the press release recount the stats: “Williams averaged 11.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 33.9 minutes per game to rank second on the team in scoring and third in rebounding last week. She shot 41.2 percent (7 of 17) from the floor and a perfect 8-for-8 at the foul line. Williams helped lead UNH to its first conference win of the season, a 56-51 victory at UMass Lowell on Jan. 28, by recording 13 points, six rebounds, two steals and an assist.”
QOL score: +1 because QOL likes rooting for all the home teams
Comments:UNH women’s basketball will play a home game on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 1 p.m. vs. Bryant University. Tickets cost $10 ($15 to sit courtside), $5 for kids and seniors for general admission. Seeunhwildcats.com/tickets.
QOL score: 52
Net change: -2
QOL this week: 50
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].
Featured photo: Granite United Way Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. Courtesy photo.
